Prince: My deal was guaranteed

Former K-State football coach's account differs from that of former AD Weiser

Former Kansas State athletic director Tim Weiser, according to testimony from former Wildcat coach Ron Prince, first sketched out the details of a five-year, $5.5 million guaranteed contract on a napkin following the Wildcats' 73-31 loss at Nebraska in 2007.

Former Kansas State coach Ron Prince has testified in a deposition that he believed he had a guaranteed contract with the school, one initially sketched out during the administration of former athletic director Tim Weiser.

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Before the Memorandum of Understanding, Ron Prince said, there was the napkin.

Prince, Kansas State's ex-football coach, testified that former athletic director Tim Weiser sketched a preliminary contract proposal on a napkin after the Wildcats' 73-31 loss at Nebraska in 2007.

That contract — and Prince's accompanying buyout agreement — would become the basis for the ongoing legal battle between the school and its former coach. Prince was fired in 2008, and the school has filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate his $3.2 million buyout deal.

In a deposition obtained by The Topeka Capital-Journal, Prince claimed Weiser's initial contract offer came with a full guarantee: If the coach were fired at any point, he would receive the remaining value of the $5.5 million deal.

Prince's testimony contradicts previous statements from Weiser and others at the university. Weiser has said he opposed increasing Prince's buyout; in fact, disagreement over the buyout contributed to Weiser's departure from the university in February 2008.

"I did tell coach Prince that we would not increase the buyout, but that I would consider giving him a raise and an extension on his contract," Weiser told The Capital-Journal in January 2009. "The increased buyout, however, was very important to him."

Sources at K-State corroborated Weiser's stance on the buyout. George Hanson, an attorney representing K-State, questioned Prince repeatedly about the buyout during the deposition.

"Just so I'm clear," Hanson said, "it's your testimony that after the Nebraska game on Nov. 10, 2007, Mr. Weiser was prepared to announce a new five-year contract for you with an annual guaranteed salary of $1.1 million, such that you would be entitled to the $5.5 million buyout if you were fired without cause; is that correct?"

"Correct," Prince answered.

The contract Prince ultimately signed in August 2008 contained a $1.2 million buyout, accompanied by a separate Memorandum of Understanding guaranteeing the remaining $3.2 million.

K-State has challenged the MOU in court, arguing it doesn't represent a valid contract. Prince, who was fired in November 2008, maintains he wouldn't have signed the new contract without the full guarantee.

"They were the same deal," Prince testified. "They were one deal. It was five years for 1.1 million (annually)."

Prince testified that K-State was in a "dire" situation after his first season, a 7-6 campaign that ended with a loss in the Texas Bowl. Lackluster recruiting had left K-State with holes in its roster, Prince said, and long-term security was important to weather the coming struggles.

"I knew there was going to be tremendous difficulty in the years ahead," Prince said, "and I expressed that to Tim and the administration. I was very concerned about how years two and three going into the future would be if we did not recruit well and do well because of the result of those two previous seasons before we arrived and the recruiting classes in those years."

Salary wasn't a sticking point — Prince said he was "sensitive" about making more than the $1.25 million his predecessor, Bill Snyder, earned — but Prince was adamant about the full guarantee.

"I wasn't interested in being an interim coach," Prince said.

Bob Krause, Weiser's replacement, devised the MOU as a way to fit Prince's contract demands into the budget. Under the deferred-compensation agreement, Prince's buyout payments would be delayed until 2015.

"Because of budget concerns that were presented to us, we agreed to take those dollars at a later date," Prince said.

Prince was fired Nov. 5, 2008, less than three months after he signed the contract and the MOU. He recalled being summoned to president Jon Wefald's home for a morning meeting, where Wefald made small talk about the previous night's presidential election.

"President Wefald went on about Obama's election and what that meant for the country and what an important day that was in our history," Prince said. "I was not interested in talking about that at that time."

Months later, after Prince had returned to Virginia, he received a frantic phone call from Krause.

"He told me the university was saying that the MOU wasn't valid and that a story was perhaps going to be written about it and that there would be hell to pay, bloodbath, whatever — those kind of strong terms," Prince said. "And it came as a shock to me."

Prince was equally shocked when Krause flew to Charlottesville, Va., and offered to purchase an insurance policy on his own life if Prince agreed to nullify the MOU.

"I had never heard of such a thing," Prince said. "I didn't know what he was getting at. I wasn't connecting the dots at all. It came so far out of left field."

Later, Prince said, he learned the details of K-State's lawsuit by reading the newspaper.

"I could not understand why the university took a position (that) I felt was to trash me in the public (realm)," Prince said. "I didn't understand why the university would take that position, because I didn't follow what any of this was about."

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KSU has so much egg on their face they need to settle this thing quickly. It's too far it went this far. Say what they want but this is all legal and Prince is due his money. He has taken the high road and KSU is the mud slingers. Pay up scoundrels!

Prince entered into an agreement in good faith. It appears his terms were clearly stated, understood, and agreed upon. For KSU to claim otherwise after the fact is scandalous. Buyout agreements are standard operating procedure in college athletics. Pay the man, stop attracting more attention to the lack of administrative, institutional controls. This situation seems more akin to Mizzou.

Prince and Krause are both slick-tongued crooks. I have to believe Wefeld knew about all the goings on. If he didn't, that's at least as bad management wise. They clearly went out of their way to conceal this agreement from the university and public. All crooks.

Even still, Krause was the AD, he represented the university, I feel like Prince is probably entitled to the agreement. This is why you don't put people with no background in athletic departments in charge of your athletic department. Speaking of which...

I have serious doubts that Weiser was a part of the secret plan. All reports are that he left because the athletic department was such a circus. He is a business man, and I think he knew better than to hitch himself to Prince. I find it particularly preposterous that he would offer Prince that guaranteed contract after such an embarrassing loss.

Let's look into the MOUs Krause arranged with the KS Bioscience Authority for Wefald. How about MOUs with Midwest Research Institute? Under the Table Bob's last post, director of development for the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus, positioned him close to the Bioscience Sewerpipe, er corridor, MRI terminus. MRI has an office @ NISTAC; where Wefald & Krause skimmed $ off the top of sale of Nutri-Joy to Coca-Cola.

Manhattan Mayor B. Snead said this week he participated as a member of the Heartland BioAgro Consortium Kansas NBAF Task Force; yet he had no prior knowledge of KSU's Colonels David Franz, Jerry & Nancy K. Jaax enabling Dr. Bruce Ivins, THE ANTHRAX MAILER, USAMRIID, to carry out bioterrorism under their noses.

Whatever. Prince and Krause are self-absorbed, self-centered, unexplicably fortunate, cottled little boys who wish they could run with the big boys. I hope they get what they DESEERVE.

Prince is a GREAT pitchman, who talks a lot of talk but can't walk the walk. I am embarassed that I put my support behind him. Krause owes his LIFESTYLE and CAREER to the Vanier family and their affilliation with KSU... and I think they are tired of him. There's a reason Krause is now living as a Manhattan exile.

As for paying Prince: Contract Law is tedious and intricate, so absent all documentation and relevant information, I will reserve judgement.

KU Fan: Better to have a little egg on the face than an ENTIRE OMELET!!!

state a.d., who was later terminated for his lack of support of prince, this same a.d. after a 70 point beat down by nebraska, offered prince a contract with huge buyout. right. liar, liar, pants on fire comes to mind. emaw.

This article and some of the posts stared out about sports!
Now the posts are starting to look like something out of a movie. Devils advocate, your posts is practically written in some kind of secret code that only you could understand but it looks like some serious allegations. maybe you should call Tim Carpenter directly and asked him to investigate some of these accusations, he is known for blowing up beurocrats who do a sloppy job of covering up their lapses in sound judgement.

This is where Prince loses all credibility. I know for a fact that Weiser never liked Prince's hire, and certainly wouldn't have been pushing for a guarantee like that. The BEST coaches don't get guarantee's like that.

There's fault on both sides, and a settlement needs to be reached, but Prince is nuts if he thinks he deserves or will get $5.5mil

Of course Prince attempted to look out for himself. Why wouldn't he? Who looks out for your best interest? You Cats want to try to blame the victim in this circumstance. Prince tried to warn the Powers that be, he was unable to make chicken salad... Of course he'd talk the talk publically. You Cats woulda really been p.o.'d had he been totally honest and said, "We are not very good". Snyder won't admit it either, he just attempts to shed competitive games.

I emailed what I'd uncovered to 134 members of the KS Newspaper Assoc in Aug 2008. None printed, only 1 answered. They gave Felber an honorary award for his "coverage" in 2009.

Bringing NBAF to KSU was a campaign. Col Franz sits on the committee advising DHS S&T Director who selected KSU. Sits on NIH "dual use" research committee (my employee dual used his skills, mailed anthrax in 2001 AND won top DoD civilian award in 2003). Here's some govt. links for Kansans to check:

Now one can understand why no one snowed by KSU wants ANTHRAX MAILER's bosses to be IDed as KSU's NBAF team. There was a 9/11 Commission, now we see why no Anthrax Mailer Commission.

You'll recall Senators Brownback & Roberts, Reps Tiahrt & Jenkins, speaking of the TRANSPARENCY of NBAF selection process. Suppose they can name just ONE other site with so many accolades heaped on their "insider?"

My first comments here....don't know DAV but can say from my first hand knowledge of the Wefald Adm that DAV is exactly on track and has inside info experience as well....what the public is now learning only scratches the surface of the tenicles that Bobby Krause Vanier (BKV) extended. BKV was convienced he was always the smartest person in a room. He used and managed Wefald like a puppeteer, limited info to JW to serve his purposes (i.e. Colbert Hills, University funds, etc). Why JW put up with him for all those years is a anyones guess.JW was not concerned how BKV got things done only that BVK got them done.

In the case of the secret Prince contract, JW told BKV to "sign" Prince but he was beyond shocked when he learned what BKV had done.

BKV believed that Prince would be extremely successful in his 3rd and 4th years and wanted to insure that KSU 'kept" Prince so he offered the secret contract fully convinced that the contract would not be an issue since Prince would be at KSU well beyond the terms of the secret contract and that the contract would simply never see the light of day since Prince would be successful and that contract would "expire" after 5 years anyway.

Therefore, that is the source of his desperation when it became public and his trip to see Prince with the offer of life ins on himself (which is one of the strangest concepts even BKV had ever come up with). Wefald would never have insisted Prince be fired if he was aware of the secret contract. Remember this is the same manager, BKV, who gave us Colbert Hills, which totally blew up in his face ... forced USA Bank to eat $6M by simply handing them the keys to CH's 6 years ago as it was in failure. USA Bank swallowed $6M, of the $8M owed them, and settled for $2M, lost the $6M, and BKV was off the hook. But I digress..

Thanks Devil's Advocate & Formadmcats, do tell more? I bet many wish you'd shut up already. Speaking of Big Buck$, can anyone detail some of the major dollars JW, & BKV engineered with/for Snyder? It says somewhere, "What's done in the dark comes to light". Flip the switch on all of these purple scoundrels.

Weiser and Prince, what a duo. How did KSU ever, I mean EVER, get hooked up with two morons? I think that Weiser wanted to show the Big 12 that KSU was a progressive university and hire the first black coach. Unfortunately they picked a below average assistant coach from a second tier university to coach KSU and where did it get them: THE worse record of any member of the Big 12(10). Now Prince wants to get more money for doing nothing. I know a contract is a contract, so suck it up and pay it and get on without these morons. On second thought, send the bill to Weiser.

Having worked with Weiser I can tell you Prince was not his hire. Tim wanted an expanded pool of applicants and to go through the entire process of interviews. Prince was an early interview and JW and BKV were infatuated with the Prince interview and in reality overrode Weiser and offered the position without Weiser's agreement and a heads up to BS. If you recall BS was almost noncomittal in his response to the hiring and only said a few appropriate things and that was it. Weiser, while not an idiot in terms of his career, knew he was not going to win so he went with the flow. Now here is where it gets interesting......

Remember JW and BKV were so into athletics they even had lockers in the football locker room. They were/are complete sports junkies and considered themselves the "team owners". Tim saw the writing on the wall and knew BKV wanted JW to appoint him as AD prior to JW's retirement. The purpose was twofold...give BKV a 5 year contract as AD and no future President could touch him and BKV as AD assured JW would continue to have "owners access" to the sports teams and all of the "fringes" that BKV could provide him after JW retired.

Weiser played the cards and forced their hand by refusing to extend the Prince contract. To remove Weiser quietly and insert BKV,JW agreed to everything Weiser put on the table (buyout on his ten year contract, the $1M no interest loan,ten year teaching contract at KSU and all of the rest). JW and BKV imediately agreed. Meanwhile Weiser, way ahead of the game, had secured a "great" position with the BIg 12 office managing his first love...base ball for the Big 12.

So who played who...looks to me like Tim Weiser put it to JW and BKV, played on their own greed and obsession with being "Team owners" and walked away with a smile. His fiscal management while AD was second to none. * sorry no spellcheck

what a complete and total jerk with absolutely no intestinal fortitude whatsoever. Instead of just resigning like a man, and giving his reasons as to why he resigned. He sought to stuff his pockets with the hard earned money of the Kansas State Athletic constituency.

In addition, all you need to know about Tim Weiser is right there in the concept of the loan. Any CEO who has the audacity to ask the non profit organization he oversees for a loan, essentially has no ethics whatsoever. In addition, any CEO of a non profit entity that sets up a consulting company and then contracts back to own corporation for consulting services on the rubber stamp of an essentially non existent board of directors. Has no ethics whatsoever.

Anybody that would give any praise whatsoever to Tim Weiser is a sycophant of the highest order.